FANGORIA #323 saw us shine a light on a filmmaker named Amy Hesketh, an ex-Pat American who has become a sort of feminine Jess Franco in Bolivia, where she’s producing challenging, visceral, unflinching dark dramas and horror films (like the hypnotic BARBAZUL/BLUEBEARD, which just screened at the PollyGrind festival in Las Vegas) primarily for the Latin market, made in collusion with her partner, filmmaker/actor Jac Avila. Hesketh is so dedicated to her brand of art that she often literally puts herself in harm’s way to achieve the maximum psychosexual/visceral effect.

Which is why we are excited to learn of her latest effort, the vampire opus OLALLA. “The film is based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel about a family of incestuous vampires,” she tells FANGORIA. “It’s the first story that explores the possibility of genetic vampires living among us. Gothic literature… my favorite.”

The filmmaker continues, “I pick up where Robert Louis leaves off. I felt that his story left much to the imagination, it developed something very strong and hinted at much more, so I’m taking it to a fever pitch.”

“I love the taboo theme of incest, the idea of genetic decadence, vampirism, and violence. It’s dark, with tense character arcs. It’s low-budget, like all of my films thus far, but we accomplish a lot with talent and creativity.”

Low budget, yes… but not no-budget. See, Hesketh has turned to crowd funding to get the cash she needs to bring her violent, kinky, sexually aware Bolivian vampire film to life and we see no reason why FANGO readers demanding offbeat product shouldn’t support this woman and the unique art she sculpts. Have a peek and maybe you’ll agree.

To donate and learn more about the campaign, head here. And to join the Hesketh army connect with her, Avila and her team on the OLALLA Facebook page.

About the author

Chris Alexander

Author, film critic, teacher, musician and filmmaker (not to mention failed boxer) Chris Alexander is the editor-in-chief of FANGORIA Magazine. He got his first professional break as the “Schizoid Cinephile” in the pages of Canadian horror film magazine RUE MORGUE before making the move to FANGO in 2007. His words have appeared in The Toronto Star, Metro News, Wired, Montage, The Dark Side, Tenebre and many other notable publications and he appears regularly on international television and radio.